'Pétros ení': New film on St Peter’s tomb features Pope Leo

By Fabio Colagrande and Eugenio Murrali

The film Pétros ení: Alla scoperta delle origini (Pétros ení: Discovering the Origins) premiered this morning, 16 October, at the Rome Film Festival, where the audience gave a warm round of applause to Pope Leo XIV, who is currently receiving treatment at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

The spontaneous and heartfelt tribute came as Dr. Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, expressed his hope that the Pope’s recovery “continues to progress well” following surgery.

Produced by AF Films in collaboration with Vatican Media and the Fabric of St Peter, to mark the 400th anniversary of the consecration of St Peter's Basilica on 18 November 1626, the documentary is directed by Paula Ortiz, written by Andrea Tornielli, narrated by American actor Chris Pratt and features an appearance by Pope Leo.

American actor Chris Pratt narrates the film {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "ImageObject","contentUrl": "https://www.vaticannews.va/content/dam/vaticannews/multimedia/2026/ottobre/12/2026-10-12-film-petros-eni.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.thumbnail.cropped.750.422.jpeg","creditText": "Vatican News","height": "750","width": "422"} Peter: An imperfect man

In a video message addressed to the audience at the Rome Film Festival and shown before the screening at the Gianni Borgna Studio Theatre in the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Pratt spoke of how deeply he had been involved in making Pétros ení.

In an interview filmed at the Vatican, the actor, who “returned to the Catholic faith about six years ago,” also said he had been profoundly moved by his experience at St Peter’s Basilica, which he described as “a special and sacred place”, during the film’s production. He spoke of the documentary as a personal experience that is “helping me define my faith”.

“What I would like audiences to understand about Peter after watching this documentary is that he was an imperfect man,” Pratt added. “He was a weak man. He was a human being. And I believe we are all broken, imperfect and weak. But his strength lies in the grace of Jesus and his faith in God. With that strength, through grace and faith, you can be incredibly strong.”

This truth emerges throughout the film. As Dr. Ruffini noted in his acknowledgements, its greatest appeal lies in “the Christian paradox: a Church that Jesus entrusted to the leadership of a weak and sinful man, the fisherman from Galilee who had denied him but was forgiven when their eyes met”.

Paula Ortiz, the film’s director, Manu Vega of AF Films, and Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, during the film’s presentation (from left) {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "ImageObject","contentUrl": "https://www.vaticannews.va/content/dam/vaticannews/multimedia/2026/ottobre/16/45.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.thumbnail.cropped.750.422.jpeg","creditText": "Vatican News","height": "750","width": "422"} A journey through time

In the film, Pratt guides viewers on a journey to discover the Apostle’s tomb, his life and his humanity. The images are all the more remarkable because, as explicitly stated in the opening credits, they have not been altered in any way using artificial intelligence.

Over the course of approximately 60 minutes, Pratt becomes a pilgrim alongside the viewer, embarking on a profound journey to the heart of the Vatican Necropolis. He first appears outside the Basilica, walking alone through St Peter’s Square at night, an ordinary man making his way on foot. When he enters the illuminated Basilica alone, his sense of wonder is palpable.

He slowly walks along the nave, taking in the whispers of a history spanning millennia: statues, stones and symbols of Christianity. Their voices blend gently with the soundtrack, reaching the audience as well. Pratt tells the story of a Church whose foundations rest on the blood of the Apostle.

The narrative takes viewers back in time to the Constantinian Basilica and further still, to the Roman necropolis so remarkably preserved beneath St Peter’s Basilica.

Watch the trailer Pétros ení

From the first excavations commissioned by Pope Pius XII during the Second World War to the definitive confirmation, under Pope Paul VI, that Peter’s remains had been found, Pratt retraces an archaeological story rich in spirituality, scientific rigour and discovery.

The direction, screenplay and editing by Pablo Gómez-Pan skilfully bring together documents from the Archives of the Fabric of St Peter; contributions from Pietro Zander, one of the leading experts on the Vatican Necropolis, which he also oversees; images and audio recordings of the Popes; and archival footage of the renowned epigrapher Margherita Guarducci, passionately and expertly explaining her research.

Pratt’s journey is thus enriched by documentary evidence, bringing to life the work that began with the sampietrini (the workers responsible for the upkeep of St Peter’s Basilica) and the fossori (the grave diggers), who undertook delicate excavations during wartime. Their efforts ultimately led to the identification of Peter’s burial place and the discovery of the simple box containing his bones.

The film is a descent into the depths of the earth in search of a truth brought back to the surface: the humanity and enduring power of the faith of the Prince of the Apostles, the humble fisherman upon whom Christ founded his Church.